Michael O’Leary has clashed with Grant Shapps over the transport secretary’s refusal to relax immigration rules to ease travel chaos.
Ryanair’s chief executive has attacked the government’s “weird” post-Brexit policies on foreign workers, which allowed it to hire staff from Africa but not mainland Europe.
He said: “I could employ thousands of people in Portugal, Italy, France, Germany on exactly the same wages I pay in the UK, but I just can’t employ them in the UK at the moment.
“And at the moment we have this strange situation that in the UK I can get visas to bring in Moroccans to come and work as cabin crew. But I can’t get visas for Portuguese, Italians or Slovakian youths. We just need a bit more common sense and a practical approach to how we deliver Brexit.”
His remarks come as airlines and airports prepare for the start of the summer holidays this weekend.
Millions of families are desperate to fly abroad, many for the first time since the pandemic began, but fear a repeat of the chaotic scenes seen at airports up and down the country after Easter.
Airlines and airports blamed each other as passengers were forced to wait in long queues, suffered last-minute cancellations and lost luggage.
Mr Shapps has repeatedly rejected the aviation industry’s requests for emergency visas to deal with staff shortages.
Last month, the Telegraph revealed that airlines led by Jet2 and easyJet had pushed for aviation workers to be added to the shortage list, which would make it easier to recruit from overseas.
Mr Shapps rejected the request, saying it was unlikely the Home Office would be prepared to make an exception for the aviation industry when other sectors made similar calls to their respective departments.
The one-time Tory leadership candidate then rejected another decision that would have allowed an influx of foreign workers temporarily, the newspaper also revealed.
Airlines have proposed issuing temporary visas to baggage handlers and check-in staff similar to those issued to fruit pickers, musicians and religious figures.
A senior source said at the time: “Aviation is also a seasonal industry and temporary visas will work very well to meet peak demand.”
Another added: “This illogical approach to the labor shortage in the economy means that the government must take its fair share of responsibility for the current problems, despite its best efforts to shift the blame exclusively to the airlines.”
Mr O’Leary told BBC Radio 4: “There aren’t enough people in the UK willing to do these jobs … especially during peak summer periods and particularly at airports. in the south-east, at airports such as Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester.”
Mr Shapps defended his decision that the Government would not pull the “lever marked by more immigration” to resolve airport delays.
Add Comment